Gathering or pick-up conveyer



sept. 1o, 193,5.

F. CARTLIDGE GATHEHING OR PICK -UP CONVEYER Filed NOV. l2, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 10, 1935. F. CARTLIDGE 2,014,079

GATHERING OR PICK-UP CONVEYER Filed Nov. 12', 1954 2 sheets-sheet 2 I 'Faw/r gg;

Patented Sept. 10, 1935 .UNITED STATES PATENT FFIQE Frank Cartlidge,

Chicago, Ill., assignor to Goodman Engineering Company, Chicago, Ill., a

corporation of Illinois Application November 12, 1934, Serial No. 752,646

12 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in gathering or pick-up conveyers and more particularly to gathering conveyors of 1 the type which are adapted to load by swinging movement across a il coal face for gathering mined coal and dischargdrive sprocket at the discharge end of said pan.

y Among'the objects of my invention are to provide a novel means which will delay the turning action of the flights as they round the sprocket at thedischarge end of the conveyer which is of a positive acting, simple construction, and also hold said gathering flights in a laterally extended position with respect to the chain during the conveying and gathering operations.

A prior application, Serial No. 752,431, led November 10, 1934, discloses a gathering conveyer of the same general type as is shown in my pres- 'ent invention'. My present invention, however, provides La different means for controlling the swinging action of the flights as they round the -drive sprocket a't the discharge end of the conveyer.

lMy invention may be more clearly understood rwith reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

vFigure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of one embodiment of my invention with certain parts brokenaway and shown in section;

Figure 2 is a` fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of the embodiment shown in Figure 1,"drawn to a reduced scale;

Figure 3 isa sectional view taken substantially along lines 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a` detail view ofone of the gatheringk flights ina folded position with respect to the chain; and

r Figure'5 is another detail view of the same gathering 4flight in ,ai different position than in Figure 4.

Referring now in particular to the drawings, ther-embodiment of vmy invention illustrated ,thereinfincludes a pan I having a forwardend --Hwadapted to rest on-and slide alongA the mine bottom,..an intermediate inclined portion I2 and afrelativelyhorizontaldischarge portion I3. Said pan i-s..provided with upstanding sides I4, I4 extending rearwardly of the forward end thereof for retaining material thereon and permitting it to be moved therealong by gathering and conveying mechanism, generally indicated by reference character I5. A discharge conveyer, genw erally indicated by reference character IS (see 5 Figure 2) is adapted to be disposed beneath the discharge end of said pan for receiving material discharged by said gathering and conveying mechanism. Said pan and discharge conveyer .p may be a part of a unitary loading mechanism y of any suitable construction, which is not herein shown in detail since it is no portion of my present invention. f

With reference now in particular to the gathering and conveying mechanism I5, a chain guide, generally indicated by reference character l1, extends along the pan l0 from the forward to discharge end thereof and generally conforms to the inclination of said pan. Said chain guide, as ,l herein shown, includes a pair of parallel-spaced members I8, i8 extending along and secured to the top surface of said pan in a suitable manner and a plate I9 secured to the top surface of said members in parallel relation with respect to said y pan and extending beyond opposite sides of said members. Wearing strips 20, 20 abut the outer side of said guide members and the upper surface of said pan. The projecting under sides of said plate and upper surface of said wearing strips form guide grooves in which an endless chain 2l may be guided.

The endless chain 2l is trained around an idler sprocket 22 disposed adjacent the forward end of said chain guide and a drive sprocket 23 disposed adjacent the rearward end of said guide and the discharge end of said pan. Said guide and pan may be arranged in a suitable manner (not shown) so that said chain may readily be adjusted for wear. The drive sprocket 23 is herein shown as being keyed on a vertical shaft 23a 40 which is driven through a train of bevel gears from a suitable motor (not shown) in a usual manner.

The endless chain 2l comprises a plurality of spaced links pivotally connected together by ball and socket connections in a usual manner, so that it may travel in more than one plane. Every second link of said chain is provided with opposite outwardly extending projections 25, 25 which are adapted to abut each other when traveling between the sprockets 22 and 23 and lend rigidity tc the chain when loads are placed thereon during the gathering operation (see Figure 1). Certain links 26 of said chain are provided with parallel-spaced projections 2l extending laterally therefrom in a plane parallel to the plane of travel of said chain. A gathering flight 29 is provided with a pair of parallel-spaced slots 39, 30 which are adapted to receive said projections. A pin 3| extends through said night and projections and connects said night to said chain for pivotal movement about an axis perpendicular to the plane of travel of said chain. Said nights are suitably spaced along said chain in such a manner that each flight may act as an independent gathering means without interfering with the operation of the other. Each of said nights is provided with a projecting bit 32 and a bit 33 extending angularly upwardly therefrom for cutting through tight or unsevered coal.

A link 35 is spaced two links rearwardly of each night and a similar link is spaced two links forwardly of each night. Each of these links is provided with outwardly extending parallelspaced projections 35, 36 extending from the end of said link adjacent the night 29. A dog 3l is pivotally mounted between the outer ends of said projections on a ball 39 disposed between and secured to said projections by means of suitable lugs extending from opposite sides thereof, as is best shown in Figure 3. Each of said dogs extends toward a gathering night and is adapted to engage forward and rearward cam-like surfaces 39, 39 formed on the faces thereof when said night is traveling along the guide lll. The purpose of two dogs engaging each night is to permit operation of the gathering chain in reverse directions.

Each dog has a lever arm 49 which extends from its axis of pivotal connection to the projection 36 in a direction away from its associated night. Said lever arm is adapted to be engaged by a cam-like projection 4l, herein shown as being formed integral with a link 43 interposed between the links 26 and 35. Said cam-like projection extends from the link 43 beyond its axis of connection to the link 35 between the straps of said last-mentioned link, so that relative movement between the links 35 and 43 may pivot the dog 37. The link 43 is also provided with a depressed portion 44 which is adapted to receive the dog 3l to permit said dog to clear its associated gathering night when rounding the sprocket and thus permit the night 29 to fold rearwardly along the chain.

Figures l, 5 and 6 best show the operation of the device, and in looking at these ngures, it will be seen that as the gathering night 29 initially rounds the drive sprocket 23 that relative movement between the links 26, 35 and 33 will pivot the trailing dog 3l inwardly against the chain into the depressed portion 44 of the link 43. At the same time the cam-like projection dl pivots the leading dog inwardly against the chain into the depressed portion :lil of the opposite link 43. Thus, the night 2S is free to pivot rearwardly along the chain and is so pivoted by the reaction of the material being conveyed thereby. As said gathering flight rounds the drive sprocket and enters the chain guide l, as is shown in Figure 5, the cam-like projection 4l will engage the lever arm 49 of the trailing dog 37 and pivot said dog outwardly with respect to the chain. As said dog is being pivoted outwardly with respect to the chain, its engaging surface engages the cam-like surface 39 of the night 29 and pivots said flight about its axis of pivotal connection to the chain 2l until it is in a laterally extended position with respect to said chain, as is shown in Figure 1.

As said night moves along the chain guide I1, it will react against the trailing dogr which will hold it in a laterally extended position with respect to the chain during the conveying operation.

Means are provided to prevent the nights from folding rearwardly with respect to the chain at the gathering end of the conveyer, as they round the idler sprocket 22. Said means, as herein shown, comprises a disk 45 secured to the upper side of the sprocket 22 for rotation therewith. The diameter of said disk is slightly greater than the width of the chain guide Il' and said disk is adapted to be engaged by relatively widely spaced engaging members 46, 46 extending inwardly from opposite sides of each of said nights.

It may be seen from the foregoing that a simplined means has been provided for holding the nights in a laterally extended position with respect to the chain during the gathering and conveying operations and delaying the sweeping or swinging action of said nights as they round the drive sprocket at the discharge end of the conveying mechanism to minimize the tendency of said nights to sweep material from the secondary or discharge conveyer and permit said discharge conveyer to be spaced relatively close to the gathering conveyer and thus conserve in vertical dimensions of said gathering conveyer and the entire machine. It is also apparent that this means is cinciently arranged in a simplined and novel manner so as to be positive acting and reversible.

While I have herein shown and described one form in which my invention may be embodied, it will be understood that the construction and arrangement of the various parts may be changed or altered without departing from the spirit or scope thereof. Furthermore, I do not wish to be construed as limiting myself to the precise construction illustrated, excepting as it may be limited in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a conveyer, a pan, a continuous chain movable in an orbital path along said pan, a night extending laterally from said chain for movement along said pan, said night being mounted on said chain for pivotal movement with respect thereto about an axis perpendicular to the plane of travel of said chain, means for holding said night in a later-ally extended position relative to said chain for conveying material along said pan and permitting said night to fold rearwardly along said chain when discharging material from said pan including a dog pivotally connected to said chain rearwardly of said night having an end which is adapted to engage said night, and a cam member on said chain engaging said dog rearwardly of its axis of pivotal connection to said chain for controlling pivotal movement of said dog.

2. A gathering conveyer in accordance with claim l, wherein the pivotal axis of the dog is spaced outwardly from the pivotal axes of the links of the chain and wherein said dog is provided with an arm extending inwardly and rearwardly therefrom which is engaged by said cam member.

3. In a gathering conveyer, a pan, a chain guided for orbital movement therealong in a plane parallel to the plane of said pan, said chain being trained around a drive sprocket adjacent the rearward or discharge end of said pan and an idler sprocket adjacent the forward or gathering end of said pan, a gathering flight on said chain extending laterally therefrom and pivoted thereon for movement about an axis perpendicular to the plane of travel of said chain, and means for delaying the swinging action of said arm as it turns around said drive sprocket at the discharge end of said pan comprising a dog adapted to engage the rearward side of said flight and pivoted on a link spaced rearwardly from the link to which said flight isl pivotally connected, and a c-am member on a link intermediate said links to which said flight and dog are connected, engaging said dog rearwardly of its axis of pivotal connection to its associated link.

4. A gathering conveyer in accordance with claim 3, wherein said dog is pivoted to said link at a point spaced outwardly therefrom adjacent the end of said link closest to said flight and is provided with a rearwardly extending lever arm adapted to be engaged by said cam member on said intermediate link.

5. A gathering chain in accordance with claim 3, wherein said gathering flight is provided with a cam-like surface adapted to be engaged by said dog and wherein said intermediate link is recessed to receive said dog as said flight is rounding said sprocket.

6. A gathering chain in -accordance with claim 3, wherein said gathering flight is provided with a cam-like surface adapted to be engaged by said dog and said intermediate link is recessed to receive said dog as said flight is rounding said sprocket, wherein said dog is pivoted to its associated link at a point spaced outwardly therefrom adjacent the end thereof adjacent said flight, and wherein said intermediate link is provided with a rearwardly extending cam surface adapted to engage said dog rearwardly of its pivotal axis.

7. In a gathering conveyer, a pan having a gathering and discharge end, an idler sprocket disposed adjacent the gathering end of said pan and a drive sprocket disposed adjacent the discharge end of said pan, chain guidesinterposed between said sprockets, and an endless chain trained around said sprockets and guided in said guides, said chain including a link having a portion extending outwardly from said guides, a gathering flight pivoted thereto for pivotal movement about an axis perpendicular to the plane of travel of said chain, a second link disposed rearwardly of said first-mentioned link and pivotally connected thereto, a cam member extending rearwardly and outwardly from said second link, a third link pivoted to said second link forwardly of said cam, a projection extending from said third link adjacent the forward pivotal axis thereof and a dog pivoted to said projection engaging said flight and engaged by said cam.

8. A gathering conveyer in accordance with claim '7, wherein the flight has a cam like surface adapted to be engaged by the dog and wherein the dog has a lever arm extending inwardly and rearwardly from its axis of pivotal connection to its associated link which is adapted to be engaged by said cam member on said intermediate link.

9. A gathering conveyer in accordance with claim 7, wherein said intermediate and third links are disposed on opposite sides of said flights and wherein dogs pivoted on said third links are adapted to engage opposite sides of said flights to permit operation thereof in opposite directions. 5

10. A gathering conveyer in accordance with claim '1, wherein said intermediate and third links are disposed on opposite sides of said flights and wherein dogs actuated by said intermediate links and pivoted on said third links are adapted t0 l0 engage cam-like surfaces on opposite sides of said flights to permit operation thereof in opposite directions. v

l1. In a gathering conveyer, a pan having a gathering and discharge end, an idler sprocket disposed .adjacent the gathering end of said pan and a drive sprocket disposed adjacent the discharge end of said pan, and an endless chain trained around said sprockets, said chain including a link having a gathering flight pivoted thereto for pivotal movement -about an axis disposed perpendicular to the plane of travel of said chain, and means for holding said flight in a laterally extended position with respect to said chain during the gathering operation and permitting said flight to fold rearwardly against said chain when rounding said drive sprocket comprising a dog pivotally connected to the forward end of a link spaced two links rearwardly of said flight and adapted to engage the rearward face of said flight and -a rearwardly projecting cam on a link intermediate said links for actuating said dog or holding said dog in an engaged position with respect to said flight.

12. In a gathering conveyer, a pan having a gathering and discharge end, an idler sprocket disposed adjacent the' gathering end of said pan and a drive sprocket disposed adjacent the .discharge end of said pan, and an endless chain trained around said sprockets, said chain includ- 40 ing a link having a gathering flight pivoted thereto for pivotal movement -about an axis disposed perpendicular to the plane of travel lof said chain, and means for holding said flight in a laterally extended position with respect to said chain during the gathering operation and permitting said flight to fold rearwardly against said chain when rounding said drive sprocket comprising a rotary guide on said idler sprocket, engaging members extending inwardly from opposite sides of said flight adapted to engage said rotary guide, a dog pivotally connected to the forward -end of a link spaced two links rearwardly of said flight and adapted to engage the rearward face of said flight, and a cam on a link intermediate said links and extending rearwardly of said second link for permitting said dog to lie against said intermediate link to permit said dog to lie in folded relation with respect to said link when said flight initially rounds said driving sprocket and pivoting said flight in a forward direction after it has rounded said sprocket and holding it in a laterally extended position with respect to said conveyer between said sprockets.

FRANK CARTLIDGE.

eaeaieioma oa ooRaEoTioN. einem' No. 2, mma. september 1o, 1935.

iRANK CARTMDGE.

i t is hereby eertiied @hat tiie name of the assignee in the above numbered patent was erroneously written and minted as "Goodman Engineering Company" whereas said name should have heen Wriea and primed as Goodman Manufacturing Company, as shown by the reeors of assignmeas in this offiee; and that he said Leners Patent shoud be read with this eorreeion thei'eia that the same may conform to the record oi the ease in the Faent fiioe.

Signed and sealed this 5th day of November; A. i). 1935.

Lesl ie Frazer (Seal) Acting lCommssionei of 9mm ts. 

